Listmania!
The top 10 leadership books by scholars and other stuff
The Nature of LeadershipThe Nature of Leadership by John Antonakis
Buy new: £40.84 / Used from: £30.41
Contributions by top scholars (Warren Bennis, for one). Great handbook and textbook with chapters that are an easy read.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow YouThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell
Buy used from: £7.83
Other stuff....Interesting read and very helpful. The advice is pretty good; however, the book could have been better researched.
The Leadership Challenge (The Leadership Practices Inventory)The Leadership Challenge (The Leadership Practices Inventory) by James M. Kouzes
Buy used from: £0.93
A classic. Well research. Very easy to read (as long as you ignore the appendixes on the factor analysis). Useful for managers and researchers.
LeadershipLeadership by Rudolph W. Giuliani
Buy used from: £0.01
Other stuff....should have led the nation, as he did NY, out of hell. Should send a copy to George W?
Leadership: Theory and PracticeLeadership: Theory and Practice
Buy used from: £11.80
Popular textbook. Very useful for practitioners too; dotted with applications and still strong on the theory
Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape LeadersGeeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape Leaders by Warren G. Bennis
Buy new: £12.79 / Used from: £3.70
Other stuff....Bennis never ceases to amaze--a really GREAT book.
Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and ResearchHandbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research by R.M. Stogdill
Buy used from: £47.98
Leadership bible for scholars. Buy it if you are doing research on leadership. This book is inimitable.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (JB Lencioni Series)The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (JB Lencioni Series) by Patrick Lencioni
Buy new: £9.55 / Used from: £7.80
Other stuff....Nice story. The White House could use a copy!
Leadership in OrganizationsLeadership in Organizations by Gary A. Yukl
Buy used from: £17.74
Serious textbook. Used by many professors. A bit dry at times; however, well worth the money it costs.
Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to MissMonday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to Miss by David Cottrell
Buy used from: £0.63
Other stuff....Nice, simple, with good advice.
Organizational Culture and Leadership (Joint Publication in the Jossey-Bass Management Series and t)Organizational Culture and Leadership (Joint Publication in the Jossey-Bass Management Series and t) by Edgar H. Schein
Buy used from: £1.96
A classic work on leadership and culture and the role of leaders in terms of creating, shaping, and redirecting culture
Principle-Centered Leadership: Strategies for Pers Personal & Professional Effectiveness (Paper Only)Principle-Centered Leadership: Strategies for Pers Personal & Professional Effectiveness (Paper Only) by Covey
Buy new: £9.45 / Used from: £0.01
Other stuff....Covey is good, even on a bad day. This is not his best stuff but worth reading.
Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 SocietiesCulture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies
Buy new: £84.59 / Used from: £107.23
Robert House is the most respected scholar of leadership and this book's a gem.
The Future of Leadership: Todays Top Leadership and Thinkers Speak to Tomorrow's Leaders (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)The Future of Leadership: Todays Top Leadership and Thinkers Speak to Tomorrow's Leaders (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)
Buy new: £16.99 / Used from: £3.77
Other stuff....As you can tell, I like Bennis
Full Leadership Development: Building the Vital Forces in Organizations (Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior series)Full Leadership Development: Building the Vital Forces in Organizations (Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior series) by Bruce J Avolio
Buy new: £31.99 / Used from: £4.18
Focused on full-range transformational leadership. Serious and funny too.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don'tGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't by Jim Collins
Buy used from: £12.27
Other stuff.....interesting perspective about what makes companies great. I am quite skeptical of how the results were derived and it's link to leadership, which does appear to matter a lot.
The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered CompanyThe Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company by Ram Charan
Buy new: £12.98 / Used from: £9.55
Other stuff....Nice advice but a bit hollow at times.
Servant LeadershipServant Leadership by Robert K. Greenleaf
Buy used from: £1.93
Leadership from another angle, that of one who is there to serve the greater good
Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (Leadership for the Common Good)Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (Leadership for the Common Good) by Barbara Kellerman
Buy new: £16.67 / Used from: £8.14
Other stuff....this will become a classic. Not enough has been done to study bad leaders and how they influence followers
On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership ClassicOn Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic by Warren G. Bennis
Buy used from: £2.44
Other stuff....Bennis at his best.
The Nature of Organizational Leadership: Understanding the Performance Imperatives Confronting Today's Leaders (JB US nonFranchise Leadership)The Nature of Organizational Leadership: Understanding the Performance Imperatives Confronting Today's Leaders (JB US nonFranchise Leadership)
Buy new: £36.13 / Used from: £35.50
Nicely edited book on leadership issues from a variety of perspectives
Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable About Solving the Most Painful Problem in BusinessDeath by Meeting: A Leadership Fable About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business by Patrick Lencioni
Buy new: £9.63 / Used from: £7.85
Other stuff.....Nice, simple stories about how to make meetings more productive. Looks at some of the practical sides of leadership that are often forgotten.
The Allure of Toxic Leaders: Why We Follow Destructive Bosses and Corrupt Politicians--and How We Can Survive ThemThe Allure of Toxic Leaders: Why We Follow Destructive Bosses and Corrupt Politicians--and How We Can Survive Them by Jean Lipman-Blumen
Buy used from: £5.53
Other stuff.....this will become a classic. Interesting perspective on followership
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the BoxLeadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by Arbinger Institute
Buy used from: £3.00
Other stuff.....interesting book looking at self-awareness issues. Again, like many of the popular works it would benefit from some hard science behind it. An interesting read that won't hurt.
On LeadershipOn Leadership by John W. Gardner
Buy used from: £8.15
Other stuff.....now here's a really good popular press book. I highly recommend it.